Though the economy continues to improve — perhaps pushing many who would otherwise delay their car purchases into showrooms for vehicle replacements — the percentage of older vehicles on the road continues to grow.

In fact, according to Experian Automotive data released Wednesday, the percentage of vehicles on the road predating the 2001 model year has reached its highest level since 2009.

The company’s latest Automotive Market Trends analysis showed that in the first quarter, vehicles this age made up more than 28.3 percent of all vehicles on the road, up from 22.1 percent six years earlier, before the economic downturn. And the total number of vehicles on the road remained unchanged year-over-year at 247.4 million in Q1.

Back amid the toughest recession years — 2008 and 2009 — consumers were staying in their older vehicles mostly for economic reasons, but now, analysis shows consumers might simply be deciding to hold on to their vehicles a bit longer, perhaps due to increasing production quality.

“Auto companies have been seeing the benefits from consumers coming back to market due to pent up demand following the recession. However, it’s clear that more and more consumers continue to drive older-model vehicles,” said Melinda Zabritski, Experian Automotive’s senior director of automotive credit. “While the growth in early model vehicles on the road is slowing, getting the most out of the vehicle they purchase still appears to be top of mind for consumers.”

During the first quarter, the top model year 2000 and older vehicle makes and models were the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Ford Ranger and Honda Civic, according to Experian data.

The company also took a look at new vehicle registration trends for Q1 and found that consumers were buying entry-level crossover utility vehicles more than any other vehicle segment.

This is the first time in 10 years that a CUV was the top registered vehicle segment, Experian pointed out.

To notch the No. 1 position in Q1, the CUVs surpassed full-size pickup trucks as the top vehicle segment among new registrations.

From a make-and-model perspective, the top five CUVs registered during the quarter were the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota RAV4 and Nissan Rogue.

The top five new vehicle models registered across all segments in Q1 were the Ford F-150, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and the Honda Accord.